Step 5: Developing the Curriculum - A School Leadership Podcast with Ben Erskine

Episode 1: Step 5 — Developing the Curriculum (with Ben Erskine)The No Silver Bullets Podcast — Series 2: The Nine Steps to Executive HeadshipWhat does it really take to build a coherent, equitable curriculum across multiple schools? In this episode, Paul Ainsworth is joined by Ben Erskine, Executive Principal and now CEO‑Designate of the Four Cs MAT, to explore Step 5 of the Nine Steps to Executive Headship:Developing the Curriculum.Ben leads four primary academies within a seven‑school trust, each with distinct contexts — from large inner‑city primaries to rapidly growing township schools. Drawing on his experience of system leadership, curriculum design and trust‑wide collaboration, Ben offers a grounded, highly practical look at what it means to shape curriculum at scale.This conversation digs into:Curriculum equity vs professional autonomy — how executive leaders strike the right balanceThe power of trust‑wide collaboration and why shared curriculum work reduces workload and increases qualitySequencing, coherence and knowledge progression — and why high‑level subject expertise mattersThe role of the executive principal in shaping curriculum across effective schoolsBarriers to building a trust‑wide curriculum — time, pace, workload, and how to overcome themDeveloping leaders through cross‑school curriculum projectsWhy pace is everything — moving fast enough to maintain momentum, but slow enough to keep trustServant leadership, influence and system‑wide impact — Ben’s advice for new and aspiring executive headsBen also shares examples from the Four Cs MAT, including trust‑wide writing development, direct instruction approaches, and how collaboration across schools is becoming essential in a tightening financial landscape.If you’re an executive head, CEO, senior leader or aspiring system leader, this episode offers clear principles, practical strategies and honest reflections on what it takes to build a curriculum that genuinely serves every child — regardless of school, postcode or teacher.About the SeriesThis episode is part of the Nine Steps to Executive Headship series, supporting Paul’s forthcoming book: 📘 Nine Steps to Executive Headship, published by Routledge in Autumn 2026.ConnectFollow Paul on LinkedIn: Paul K. Ainsworth | LinkedInFollow Paul on Instagram: Paul K Ainsworth (@paulkainsworth) • Instagram photos and videosFollow Ben on LinkedIn: Ben Erskine | LinkedInFollow Ben on Substack: Ben Erskine | SubstackRead the companion blog: Blog – Day in, day out, school improvement.